JP2022543683A - Improved low sodium salt composition - Google Patents

Abstract

The salt particles attached to the bulk carrier of the present invention are an improvement over conventional salt alternatives by having smaller salt particles attached to the bulk carrier, which provides the starting solids composition, salt-carrier slurry composition, inlet and Accomplished by modification of variables for the production of salt attached to carrier particles, including outlet drying temperature, slurry temperature, and moisture content control. The resulting salt-carrier product of salt attached to carrier particles can be produced with much smaller salt particles of about 100 nanometers to less than 2 microns attached to the carrier, which in turn is the salt-carrier product. However, it improves electrostatic forces, helping to adhere to and coat food better than salts that do not adhere to carrier particles. [Selection drawing] Fig. 1

Description

This invention relates to food ingredients. In particular, this invention relates to food additives and ingredients that provide a low-sodium alternative to salt, such as sodium chloride, or "table salt." More specifically, the present invention provides salt particles adhered to bulk carriers that provide the desired salty taste using reduced amounts of sodium chloride compared to conventional table salt. The salt particles attached to the bulk carrier of the present invention are an improvement over conventional salt alternatives by having smaller salt particles attached to the bulk carrier, which in turn allows the alternative salt particles to be better incorporated into food products. resulting in increased electrostatic forces that allow them to adhere. This disclosure also relates to an improved method for making an improved low sodium salt substitute having salt particles attached to a bulk carrier.

Table salt (sodium chloride) provides a taste commonly enjoyed by humans and other animals. Excess sodium, however, is known to cause some adverse health effects such as high blood pressure and heart disease. Salt is a common ingredient used in food preparation and is also used as a seasoning for finished foods such as cooked meats, vegetables, and snacks such as popcorn. Processed and "fast food" items often contain high levels of salt to provide the consumer with the desired taste; It can be risky. Although the human body can require salt for electrolyte balance and other physiological processes, people often consume sodium at levels that can be detrimental to their health.

Excess salt in the diet can have adverse health consequences, such as high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for stroke. As noted in US Pat. No. 9,491,961, figures issued by the British government indicate that the average intake of salt per person is approximately 6.0-9.0 grams/day. However, the maximum recommended by the UK government is 3 grams/day. Currently in the United States, according to the FDA, the average adult consumption of sodium is 3,400 mg/day. As a result, about 90% of Americans consume too much sodium, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A 2019 study by the National Academy of Technology, Sciences and Medicine of individuals age 14 and older recommended that individuals reduce their sodium intake if it exceeded 2,300 mg/day.

According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular disease claims 17.9 million lives per year and accounts for 31% of deaths worldwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control, "Approximately 610,000 people die from heart disease in the United States each year—that's 1 in 4 deaths." U.S.A. K. Heart disease kills about 160,000 people each year, accounting for 26% of all deaths.

Clearly, a significant reduction in current sodium consumption by approximately 50% would benefit human health and save lives.

In principle, one way to reduce the amount of salt in food is to grind the salt to give it a very large surface area, which means that the same "seasoning level" can be achieved with less salt. It should mean that it can be achieved by However, as noted in US Pat. No. 9,491,961, salt is hygroscopic and finely ground salt readily reagglomerates unless protected using expensive and complicated preservation systems. The system would add additional cost to what would otherwise be a commercial product.

US Pat. No. 9,491,961 indicated that another possibility is to replace at least part of the salt with a substitute. Alternatives to sodium chloride include the use of magnesium and potassium chloride, but these impart a bitter or metallic taste, which is generally unacceptable to consumers. Additionally, the use of potassium and magnesium ions can also affect neurons, resulting in changes in blood pressure. Other substitutes include organic molecules such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), peptides and nucleic acid-based substitutes. However, they have their own problems. Thus, for example, cancer risks associated with MSG have been reported. In addition, substitutes may affect the texture of the final finished food and may induce allergic responses. As a result, salt substitutes have replaced one "problem" with another and, as a result, have met with resistance within the food producer sector and among pressure groups driven by the public.

Other solutions to this problem include producing alternative salt products that contain salt attached to carrier particles. These salt-carrier products provide low sodium salt compositions that impart a salty taste with less sodium than an equal volume of sodium chloride itself.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 9,491,961 describes a method of preparing a salt product comprising the steps of: (i) providing a mixture comprising a salt dissolved in a solvent, the mixture comprising and (ii) atomizing the mixture and evaporating the solvent to consist of individual crystallites of the salt attached to the hollow particles of the organic material. process to produce a salt product that is The organic material may be a polymer such as a carbohydrate (eg maltodextrin or gum arabic). More than 95% of the resulting salt-carrier product particles produced using the method described in US Pat. No. 9,491,961 had a size of less than 50 microns.

US Pat. No. 8,900,650 describes a salt composition comprising carrier particles having a plurality of salt crystallites disposed thereon. The method provides an aqueous slurry comprising an aqueous solvent and a selected weight percent of a solids mixture, the solids mixture comprising a salt and a carrier medium, the carrier medium comprising from about 25% by weight of the aqueous solvent to about present in an amount of 75% by weight; and a) forming carrier particles composed of the carrier medium, and b) a plurality of salt particles having an average size less than about 20 microns on the surface of the carrier particles. exposing the slurry to a drying process for both forming a .

The salt-carrier products described in US Pat. No. 8,900,650 include bulking agents, carbohydrates or derivatives thereof, starches, maltodextrins, hydrocolloids, proteins, protein derivatives, starches, pregelatinized starches, modified starches, It may be pyrodextrin, gum, flour or tuber flour yeast extract, flavor enhancer or lipid. Drying processes include freeze drying, spray drying, spray cooking, or roll drying processes.

When applying these salt-carrier products to food, it is important that they coat the food well. As explained below, the inventors have investigated the production of salts attached to carrier particles, including starting solids composition, salt-carrier slurry composition, inlet and outlet air drying temperature, slurry temperature, and moisture content control. By varying the variables for, the resulting salt-carrier product of salt attached to carrier particles can be produced with much smaller salt particles of about 100 nanometers to less than 2 microns attached to the carrier. , which in turn improves the electrostatic forces that help the salt-carrier product coat the food better.

In a first aspect, an improved method of making a low sodium salt-carrier product having less sodium per unit volume than an equal unit volume of sodium chloride is provided, comprising: percent solids mixture, the solids mixture comprising a salt and a carrier medium, wherein the carrier medium is present in an amount of from about 2.77% to less than 25% by weight of the aqueous solvent, and the salt is is present in an amount of from about 3.9% to less than 25% by weight of the aqueous solvent; and exposing the slurry to a drying process to A) form carrier particles composed of the carrier medium; and B) Forming a plurality of salt particles less than about 100 nanometers to less than 2 microns on the surface of the carrier particles.

In another embodiment, the drying process is spray drying, spray cooking, freeze drying or roll drying.

In another embodiment, a unit volume of sodium chloride and a unit volume of salt replacement composition produce approximately equivalent salty tastes.

In another embodiment, the carrier medium is a bulking agent, carbohydrate or derivative thereof, starch, maltodextrin, hydrocolloid, protein, protein derivative, yeast extract, flavor enhancer, or lipid.

In another embodiment, the protein derivative is a soy, wheat, or whey-derived protein.

In another embodiment, the carbohydrate or derivative thereof is one or more of maltodextrin, starch, pregelatinized starch, modified starch, pyrodextrin, gum, flour, or tuber flour.

In another embodiment, the salt is one or more of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, ammonium chloride, or magnesium sulfate.

In another embodiment, the drying process comprises spray drying using a spray dryer inlet temperature of about 360°F ± 25°F and a spray dryer outlet temperature of 200°F ± 25°F.

In another embodiment, the aqueous slurry comprises a salt plus carrier in an amount of about 10% to 36% by weight of the aqueous salt-carrier slurry and an amount of about 2.5% to less than 25% by weight of the aqueous salt-carrier slurry. and the aqueous salt-carrier slurry is heated to a temperature of about 176° F.±10° F. until the water, salt, and carrier are substantially dissolved to a moisture content of about 1.2% to 5%. , a carrier, and water.

In another embodiment, the method further comprises pumping the aqueous slurry through a nozzle to control the water content between 1.2% and 5%.

In a second aspect, the improved salt-carrier product is to provide an aqueous salt-carrier slurry comprising an aqueous solvent and a selected weight percent solids mixture, wherein the solids mixture comprises salt and carrier medium. wherein the carrier medium is present in an amount from about 2.77% to less than 25% by weight of the aqueous solvent, and the salt is present in an amount from about 3.9% to about 42% by weight of the aqueous solvent; and A) forming carrier particles composed of the carrier medium; and B) forming a plurality of salt particles having an average size of less than about 100 nanometers to less than 2 microns on the surface of the carrier particles. for both: exposing the aqueous salt-carrier slurry to a drying process.

In another embodiment, the carrier medium is maltodextrin and the drying process is a freeze drying, spray drying, spray cooking, or roll drying process.

In another embodiment, the salt is a sodium, chloride, potassium, or sulfate ion salt.

In another embodiment, the carrier medium is a bulking agent, carbohydrate or derivative thereof, hydrocolloid, protein, protein derivative, yeast extract, flavor enhancer, lipid, mineral, or salt.

In another embodiment, the carrier medium comprises two or more different medium materials.

In another embodiment, the interior of the carrier particles is substantially devoid of salt crystals.

In another embodiment, the aqueous salt-carrier slurry comprises salt plus carrier and about 2.5% to 25% by weight of the aqueous salt-carrier slurry in an amount of about 10% to 36% by weight of the aqueous salt-carrier slurry. and the aqueous salt-carrier slurry is heated to about 176° F.±10° F. until the water, salt, and carrier are substantially dissolved to a moisture content of about 1.2% to 5%. Prepared by heating salt, carrier, and water to temperature.

In another embodiment, the salt carrier product adheres better to food than salt that is not adhered to carrier particles.

In another embodiment, the food product is potato chips. In another embodiment, the food product is corn chips.

In another embodiment, the food product is nuts.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of any described embodiment, suitable methods and materials are described below. The materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting. In case of conflict with terms used in the art, the present specification, including definitions, will control.

The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the drawings and detailed description, as well as from the claims.

1 is a schematic flow diagram showing a process for making the improved salt-carrier products described herein. 1 is a scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of an improved salt-carrier product showing the size of salt particles on an exemplary improved salt-carrier product described herein.

For table or surface (sprinkle) applications, most commercial salts do not dissolve readily in saliva due to their high density and relatively large particle size. When these particles are sprinkled onto food for immediate consumption or during further processing, they provide a low intensity, long lasting and spotty salty taste. Most cooked foods are chewed and swallowed very briefly; therefore, salt is sometimes added in fairly high concentrations to compensate for incomplete dissolution and short residence time in the mouth. As a result, consumers may consume salt that is still in granular form, thus consuming much more sodium than is necessary to achieve the desired "salt" taste.

Generally, by providing small consumable salt particles with a high surface area to volume ratio, the desired level of saltiness can be achieved while reducing sodium consumption. In general, the surface area to volume ratio of particles increases as the particle size decreases. Thus, small salt particles provide increased interaction with saliva and sensory physiology in the mouth, eg, tongue, cheeks, gums, etc., which can lead to increased salty taste sensations. Because more of the salt particle surface is exposed to saliva, the dissolution rate of the salt particles is greater compared to the usual, commercial salt particles that can be found, for example, in restaurants. Since the residence time of food in the mouth is relatively short, increasing the dissolution rate of salt particles can have a significant effect on the salty taste sensation.

As used herein, the phrases "nanometer- to micron-sized" or "nanometer- to micron-scale" and like phrases have their ordinary meanings, i.e., they are at least nanometer- or micron-scale Refers to an object that has one dimension.

As used herein, the phrases "nanometer- to micron-sized" or "nanometer-to-micron scale" and like phrases have their ordinary meanings, ie, they refer to at least one nanometer or micron scale. Refers to an object that has two dimensions. A "salt particle" may refer to a particular size, eg, a narrow size distribution of particles, or a collection of particles of different sizes, eg, an average size for a population of salt particles.

Nanometer to micron sized salt particles are provided for direct application on cooked food or in the preparation of food. In this and other embodiments, other ingredients may be added to the salt particles to achieve some storage or use parameter, such as bulk density, flow, anti-caking, hydrophobicity, and other parameters. In some embodiments, a coagulant or wetting agent may be used to reduce the likelihood of generating excessive amounts of dust when the salt particles are applied or used in food preparation.

Generally, nanometer to micron sized salt particles may be attached to a carrier to deliver very small salt particles to the consumer's mouth. The term "attached" as used herein has its ordinary meaning: joined or united or affixed. The processes involved in attaching the salt particles to the carrier may include chemical ionic and covalent bonding, surface tension, adhesion, and any other physical process that brings two entities together.

The term "attached" as used herein has its ordinary meaning: joined or united or affixed. The processes involved in attaching the salt particles to the carrier may include chemical ionic and covalent bonding, surface tension, adhesion, and any other physical process that brings two entities together.

A "salt" may be any type of salt, such as potassium chloride or a combination of salts. In certain preferred embodiments, "salt" refers to salts of sodium, chloride, potassium or sulfate ions. Although the context of this disclosure focuses on providing low-sodium products for food products, the disclosed technology provides methods for introducing salt into biological systems for medical or veterinary use. can be used for other purposes, including In certain embodiments, the methods and products described herein can be used in applications where rapid introduction of sodium can be advantageous, eg, in certain medical applications. Salts may contain certain additives, such as minerals or other chemical elements; in some cases, additives may provide certain health benefits.

Carriers include bulking agents, cereal and tuber starches, maltodextrins, cereal and tuber flours, hydrocolloids, proteins, protein powders, including from any plant or animal origin, including but not limited to cereals, tubers, dairy products. and whey powder; flavors and seasonings, and the like. The protein can be from any plant or animal derived protein source, including dairy, meat, corn, and the like. Carriers can vary in size and shape, and can be processed from their original form (e.g., protein powders can be further purified or milled to a desired size) to achieve desired functions. properties such as gross flow or bulk density. In some embodiments, using a carrier to deliver salt particles may provide certain loading, storage, and usage benefits. For example, carriers can be selected to provide the desired bulk density for a particular salt-carrier product. In another example, the carrier may be selected for its general flow properties in large scale food processing, or for its hydrophobicity or hygroscopicity. Maltodextrin has been determined to be a preferred carrier. "Salt-carrier product" refers to nanometer or micron scale salt particles attached to a carrier.

Generally, salt particles may be attached to the surface of the carrier. The degree of salt coverage on the particles may be varied to produce different taste effects, including adjusting the intensity of the salty taste. Additionally, the bulk density of the salt, eg sodium chloride, in the salt-carrier product may be adjusted by controlling the salt coating on the particles.

Generally, the salt-carrier products described herein can be agglomerated to provide desirable properties related to use, storage, handling, and other considerations. For example, to reduce dusting, the salt-carrier product may contain wetting agents or other additives to promote particle agglomeration. Other additives may be used to obtain desired bulk density, product flow, antimicrobial, or other material handling parameters.

FIG. 1 is a schematic flow diagram of an exemplary process for making an improved salt-carrier product. The salt-carrier product can be prepared according to one of many methods by performing the steps described below, not necessarily in the order presented.

At step 100, a solid composition of salt and carrier is prepared to create a salt-carrier slurry. Add the selected carrier, preferably maltodextrin, to the water in the tank, stir well, heat the tank to a temperature of 176°F ± 10°F to dissolve the carrier, then add the salt to the tank. By adding and continuing to heat the aqueous salt-carrier solution at a temperature of 176° F.±10° F. and stirring it for a sufficient time to ensure that the salt dissolves, it is added to the aqueous salt in step 300. - Become a carrier slurry. Alternatively, the salt and carrier may be combined with water and heated at different temperatures for different times as long as the salt, carrier and water are substantially dissolved into an aqueous salt-carrier slurry.

The concentration of salt in the salt solution can be adjusted to provide the desired coating of salt on the resulting salt-carrier product. Salts include single salts (eg, sodium chloride) or mixtures of salts (eg, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, ammonium chloride, and the like). The carrier can be any bulking agent, such as a powder bulking agent, including but not limited to proteins, carbohydrates or derivative(s) thereof (maltodextrins, pregelatinized starches, gums, flours, etc.), hydrocolloids, hydrolyzed It may be proteins, yeast extracts, and flavorings. In some embodiments, combinations of different types of carriers may be used, for example combinations of carbohydrates, starches, and potassium salts. The ratio of carrier to salt may be selected to obtain the desired working density or other properties of the salt-carrier product. The salt-carrier mixture may then be mixed until uniform.

Examples of solid compositions used to make the salt-carrier slurry of the improved salt-carrier product include: 11% to 39.9% salt in aqueous solvent (water) plus carrier. Weight percent; salt weight percentage in aqueous solvent (water) from 3.9% to less than 25%; carrier percentage in aqueous solvent (water) from 2.77% to 24.9%; aqueous solvent (water) from 10% to 39.9% Salt-carrier slurry salt + carrier weight percentage; 2.5% to 14.9% aqueous salt-carrier slurry salt weight percentage.

At step 400, the aqueous salt-carrier slurry is fed into a drying chamber nozzle with several orifices to force the slurry into the drying chamber at step 500 at different angles and droplet sizes that can affect particle size. Jetting, particle size is inversely proportional to corner opening and directly proportional to orifice opening. The drying chamber inlet temperature is preferably 360°F ± 25°F. Varying the amount of slurry pumped through the nozzle in step 400 can control the moisture content from 1.2% to 5%. Moisture content is the water content of the resulting product. The amount of slurry pumped through the nozzle into the drying chamber is controlled by the pump and compressor, while being slowed down by the nozzle resistance (pressure drop).

The slurries must remain in the drying chamber until the desired moisture content is reached and either fall into a collection hopper or be drawn by a cyclone as in standard spray drying procedures, where they Exiting the drying chamber outlet at a temperature of 200° F.±25° F. is followed by a cyclone at step 700 which collects smaller particles that are too light to be attracted onto the drying chamber hopper, which is of particular importance. process, because the particle size of this process produces many smaller particles than typical spray drying processes. There is a suction blower/scrubber process at step 750 and a bagging process at step 800 to bag the resulting salt-carrier particles.

The salt-carrier mixture may then be subjected to a process to drive off (evaporate) water. In general, it can be advantageous to expel the water quickly to reduce the growth time of salt nuclei that form on the surface of the carrier during the drying process. Exemplary processes for removing water from the carrier-slurry mixture include spray drying, spray cooking, freeze drying, drum drying, and the like.

In one approach, the average size of the salt particles can be controlled during the drying process, e.g., spray drying process, by adjusting parameters including (but not limited to) one or more of the following: spray-drying parameters, including the ratio of salt to carrier in the slurry to be processed, and one or more of inlet temperature, pump speed, air flow, and compressor pressure. It will be appreciated that various other means can be used to achieve similar results. Drying temperatures and times can vary, especially if methods other than spray drying are used in the drying process.

The improved process produces salt particles of average size from 100 nanometers to less than 2 microns attached to or on the surface of carrier particles. FIG. 2 shows an example of a salt-carrier product described herein having salt particle sizes from 100 nm to less than 2 microns. Specifically, FIG. 2 is an SEM image of an improved salt-carrier product, wherein salt particles attached to or on the surface of exemplary carrier particles range from 1.3 microns to 1.5 microns. Measured to be 5 microns.

A number of exemplary embodiments have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventive concept presented herein. For example, suitable carriers may include any material that can provide nucleation sites for salt crystals. Examples include non-organic materials such as some plastics and synthetic fillers known in the art.

In general, the methods provided herein can be extended to other foods and food additives. For example, sugar particles can be grown on a suitable carrier using processes similar to those described above to provide similar sugar-carrier products. Such an embodiment can provide a stronger sugar flavor than is available with commercial sugar granules commonly found in restaurants and can help reduce overall sugar intake. Those with some adverse health condition such as diabetes or obesity will find such sugar-carrier products beneficial to their health.

Generally, the salt-carrier products (and their equivalents) described herein can be packaged for retail sale or bulk shipment. The products described herein can be used for sprinkle applications, such as salt shakers, as well as bulk applications, such as in large scale food processing. The salt-carrier products described herein include flavorings, softeners, flavor enhancers, additives, fillers, and generally those who prepare and consume food, such as chefs and those in the food preparation industry. , and other ingredients known to consumers. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.

To gain consumer confidence in the competitive snack food market, companies need to consistently produce well-coated potato chip products. To this end, it is important to understand how seasonings adhere to food surfaces so that the processes involved in coating snacks can be improved. The deposition of salt on potato chips affects the flavor of the product and influences whether consumers will purchase the product.

Scientists at Ohio State University have investigated a number of factors that may affect how salt adheres to potato chips: surface oil content (SOC), chip temperature, product temperature during frying and coating. Use of time, oil composition, salt particle size, salt crystal form and electrostatics. It is believed that the best deposition conditions involve applying small salt particles to the oily surface. "Optimize the adhesion of salt onto potato chips," The Free Library . 2008 Food Technology Intelligence, Inc.; June 30, 2019.

Researchers produced chips with three different SOC levels - high, low and no SOC. The fried chips were dabbed with a paper towel to reduce the SOC level. Fried chips were extracted with hexane to remove SOC. Toast the fried chips to increase the chip temperature.

Researchers fried chips in soy, olive, corn, peanut and palm oils to examine the effect of oil composition. Five different particle sizes and three different shapes of NaCl crystals were non-electrostatically coated onto the chips. Five different sizes of salt were electrostatically applied onto all the SOC chips using a powder applicator. A feeder that mimics the moving conveyor belts used in commercial settings removed the salt.

Chips with high SOC had the highest deposition of salt, with SOC being the most dominant factor. Increasing the tip temperature increased the SOC and adhesion activity. Increasing the time between frying and coating the chips reduced the degree of sticking on the low SOC level chips, but had no effect on the high and no SOC chips. Changing the oil composition did not change the adhesion values.

Increasing the salt particle size decreased the degree of sticking on all SOC chips. The effect of salt size was most evident in the lower SOC chips. The larger shaped crystals adhered to a lesser extent than the smaller shaped crystals on all SOC chips, except for the large cube shaped crystals on the low SOC chips. For chips with low or no SOC levels, cube-shaped crystals gave the best adhesion properties. Electrostatic coating improved adhesion values for all salt sizes.

A relationship between salt particle size and adhesion is also noted by Amos Nussinovitch, Adhesion in Foods (2017). Ertran Ermiss published his Ph.D. In the D paper, we stated that the electrostatic force between the seasoning particles and the potato chip (crisp) substrate can be calculated as follows:

Calculation of Electrostatic Force (F _el ) The electrostatic interaction between the seasoning particles and the potato chip (crisp) substrate is the Coulomb force interaction between the two oppositely charged particles located on either side of the surface. can be considered and is given by the formula (Bowling, 1988)

where q is the net change of the seasoning particle and ε ₀ is the vacuum permittivity (electrical constant). ε _r is the dielectric constant of the intervening medium (oip in this case). R _p is the equivalent radius of the particle and h is the surface-to-surface distance of separation. Finally, the language used in the specification has been primarily chosen for readability and instructional purposes and may not have been selected to delineate or limit inventive subject matter. It is therefore intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by any claims that issue on this application. Accordingly, the disclosure of embodiments of the invention is intended to be illustrative of, but not limiting of, the scope of the invention.

The improved salt-carrier product adheres to and coats food products, including potato chips, corn chips, nuts, and other snack chips, better than salts that are not adhered to carrier particles. Better adherence to food means that the salt not adhered to the carrier product and the improved salt—when approximately equivalent volumes of the carrier product are applied to the same food product, adhere to the food better than the salt not adhered to the carrier particles. Non-deposited salt-carrier products are meant to be less in volume.

The invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments. The alternatives described herein are merely illustrative examples and in no way limitative of the alternatives. The steps of the invention can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results. Various changes and modifications to the invention described herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art. To the extent these variations depart from the scope and spirit of what is described herein, they are intended to be included therein. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention, which is encompassed by the appended claims.

Claims (21)

An improved method of producing a low sodium, salt-carrier product having less sodium per unit volume than an equal unit volume of sodium chloride, comprising:
providing an aqueous salt-carrier slurry comprising an aqueous solvent and a selected weight percent solids mixture, said solids mixture comprising a salt and a carrier medium, and said carrier medium comprising about 2% of said aqueous solvent. .77% to less than 25% by weight, and said salt is present in an amount of about 3.9% to less than 25% by weight of said aqueous solvent; exposing said slurry to a drying process for both: forming carrier particles composed of a medium; and B) forming a plurality of salt particles of less than about 100 nanometers to less than 2 microns on the surface of said carrier particles. A method comprising: 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the drying process is spray drying, spray cooking, freeze drying or roll drying. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein a unit volume of sodium chloride and a unit volume of salt replacement composition produce approximately equivalent salty tastes. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the carrier medium is a bulking agent, carbohydrate or derivative thereof, starch, maltodextrin, hydrocolloid, protein, protein derivative, yeast extract, flavor enhancer, or lipid. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the protein derivative is a soy, wheat or whey derived protein. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the carbohydrate or derivative thereof is one or more of maltodextrin, starch, pregelatinized starch, modified starch, pyrodextrin, gum, flour, or tuber flour. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the salt is one or more of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, ammonium chloride, or magnesium sulfate. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the drying process comprises spray drying using a spray dryer inlet temperature of about 360[deg.]F ±25[deg.]F and a spray dryer outlet temperature of 200[deg.]F ±25[deg.]F. the aqueous slurry in an amount of about 10% to 36% by weight of the aqueous salt-carrier slurry and in an amount of about 2.5% to less than 25% by weight of the salt plus the carrier and the aqueous salt-carrier slurry; The salt-containing aqueous salt-carrier slurry is heated to a temperature of about 176° F.±10° F. until the water, salt, and carrier are substantially dissolved to a water content of about 1.2% to 5%. 9. The method of claim 8, prepared by heating the salt, the carrier, and water. 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising pumping the aqueous slurry through nozzles to control water content between 1.2% and 5%. providing an aqueous salt-carrier slurry comprising an aqueous solvent and a selected weight percent solids mixture, said solids mixture comprising a salt and a carrier medium, and said carrier medium comprising about 2% of said aqueous solvent. .77% to less than 25% by weight, and said salt is present in an amount of from about 3.9% to about 42% by weight of said aqueous solvent; forming carrier particles composed of a medium; and B) forming a plurality of salt particles having an average size of less than about 100 nanometers to less than 2 microns on the surface of said carrier particles; An improved salt-carrier product formed by a process involving exposing a slurry. 11. The salt-carrier product of claim 10, wherein the carrier medium is maltodextrin and the drying process is a freeze drying, spray drying, spray cooking, or roll drying process. 12. The salt-carrier product of claim 11, wherein the salt is a sodium, chloride, potassium, or sulfate ion salt. 13. The salt-carrier product of claim 12, wherein the carrier medium is a bulking agent, carbohydrate or derivative thereof, hydrocolloid, protein, protein derivative, yeast extract, flavor enhancer, lipid, mineral, or salt. 14. The product of claim 13, wherein said carrier medium comprises two or more different medium materials. 14. The product of claim 13, wherein the interior of said carrier particles is substantially devoid of said salt crystals. Said aqueous salt-carrier slurry comprises said salt plus said carrier and less than about 2.5% to 25% by weight of said aqueous salt-carrier slurry in an amount of about 10% to 36% by weight of said aqueous salt-carrier slurry. and the aqueous salt-carrier slurry is heated to about 176° F. ±10° F. until the water, salt, and carrier are substantially dissolved to a moisture content of about 1.2% to 5%. 12. The salt-carrier product of claim 11 prepared by heating said salt, said carrier, and water to a temperature of . 17. The salt-carrier product of claim 16, wherein the salt-carrier product adheres better to food than salt that does not adhere to carrier particles. 18. The salt-carrier product of claim 17, wherein said food product is potato chips. 18. The salt-carrier product of claim 17, wherein said food product is corn chips. 18. The salt-carrier product of claim 17, wherein said food product is nuts.

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